Carrier for bottles or the like



Feb. 4, 1947. RHODES Em 2,415,213

CARRIER FOR BOTTLES 0R TIEIE LIKE Filed March 25. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVHVTOJRS Feb. 4, 1947.

L. RHODES ETAL CARRIELFORBOTTLES OR THE LIKE Filed March 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 4, 1947 CARRIER FOR BOTTLES OR THE LIKE Lane Rhodes and Maurice Smith,

Santa Monica, Calif.

Application March 25, 1944, Serial No. 528,096

The invention relates to a carrier for bottles or the like having an enlarged neck. The invention has for an object to provide a carrier which is simple in construction and low in cost. Preferably the carrier has space for advertising matter and permits the bottles to be stacked.

While other materials may be employed, and while the carrier may be arranged to handle either a larger or smaller number of bottles, in its preferred embodiment, the invention provides a two part bottle carrier, one part of flexible material such as cardboard, and another part of rigid material such as composition board, to suspend two rows of bottles, each row having three bottles of the Coca Cola or similar type having a bead or undercut portion adjacent the top of the neck of the bottle.

For further details of the invention reference may be made to the drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a, side view in elevation f a. bottle carrier of this invention assembled on the bottles. Fig. 2 is an end view in elevation of the carrier and bottles in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one member of the bottle carrier.

Fig. 4 is an end view corresponding to Fig. 2 with the carrier in adjusted position to permit insertion or removal of a bottle.

- Fig. 5 is a plan view of the other member of the bottle carrier extended in fiat position,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view with parts broken away illustrating a bottle locked in the carrier. 7 Referring in detail to the drawings, the carrier I of this invention comprises two parts, one of which is an elongated flat bottle supporting memher 2 shown in Fig. 3. Member 2 is preferably comparatively rigid as the bottles are suspended by the neck from it. Member 2 may be made of a sheet of composition board, wood, plastic, metal or the like. Member 2 on its opposite sides has two rows of notches 3 and 4, with preferably three notches in each row so that the carrier I can support six bottles. Each notch such as 5 is substantially semicircular in shape and adapted to engage and fit a. portion of the neck of a bottle 6 as indicated in Fig. 6, and extend under and support the bead I on the bottle. The notches such as 5, of course, engage that part of the neck of the bottle which faces the central portion of the carrier l. The member 2 is provided with a central elongated slot 8.

The other carrier member 9 shown in Fig. 5 comprises a sheet of flexible material such as cardboard which may be stamped from a, flat sheet to have the form somewhat as shown in Fig. 5. The member 9 is provided with a fold line [5 across its middle portion, the edges of member 9 mating when folded on line I5. From line IS the contour of hand hole portions 39 and '6 Claims. (Cl. 224-45 3| tapers generally outwardly as shown at 32, 33, to fold lines l9 and 20 respectively. The contour then extends at right angles to line I5, up to fold lines 2|, 22, as indicated at 34, 35 to fit slot8" in Fig. 3. Then the contour bulges out as shown at 23, 24 on the laterally extending apertured por tions 36, 31.

The member 9 has two rows of apertures l0 and H on its opposite side, with one of these rows in each of the portions 36, 31, each aperture such as l2 fitting under its corresponding notch 5 when the carrier l is assembled. Each notch such as 5 is adapted to laterally receive the neck of the bottle as the head I is larger than and is supported by such notch 5 as indicated in Fig. 6. On the other hand, each aperture in the rows l0 and H is larger than the top of the bottle and being circumferentially complete, each such aperture is not adapted to laterally receive the bottle but will receive it longitudinally. Each aperture such as I2 is therefore provided'with a cutaway portion indicated at l3 which is larger than the top of the bottle and on its outer periphery is preferably provided with a portion M of smaller curvature which fits the outside of the neck of the bottle as indicated in Fig. 6.

Portion 33 has a hand hole l6, and portion 32 has a. mating hand hole ll having a flap H) which may be folded across the top of hand hole 16 when member 9 is folded together on line IS.

The width of the intermediate portion 38 of carrier 9 between fold lines l9 and 2| and also of portion 39 between the fold lines 2!] and 22, crosswise of Fig, 5, is substantially the same as the length of slot 8 in Fig. 3. Outwardly from fold line 22 and likewise outwardly from fold line 2| the member 9 increases in width as indicated by the curved portion 23 and 24, so that when the member 9 is folded at the central line l5, to bring the middle portions 30, 3|, also 38, 39 of member 9 flat against each other as indicated in Fig. 2, after passing such reversely bent portions through aperture 8, it will not be possible on grasping the hand hole I6, I! to pull member 9 completely through member 2, because of the wider portions 23, 24, whereby member 9 supports member 2, and the latter supports the bottles as before described.

In order to insert the bottles such as S in the carrier l if the member 9 is flat as shown in Fig.5, it is folded together on its central fold line I5, to bring the parts 30, 3| there adjacent into close juxtaposition and the same will pass through slot 8 in member 2. By leaving member 2 in anelevated position, that is, not over parts 38, 39, the fold lines I9, 20,a1so 2F, 22 permit the apertured,

portions .36 and 31 to be spread out as shown for portion 36 in Fig. 4, to move aperturessuch as ll] laterally away from their notchessuch as 3,: to permit the bottletop tobe inserted up'through one of the apertures such as l2 and then laterally into its notch 3, with bead 1 above the top of notch 3. The bottles may then be moved into a vertical position and member 9 pulled up to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, with the laterally ex tending portions 36, 31 (previously bent out at right angles on lines 2 I 22) extending underneath and forming a, shelf for member 2, and with the bottle neck embraced between the notch 3 and the cut out such as M in the apertured portion 36. The reverse operation may be used to remove one or more bottles.

When carrier I is assembled on the bottles as in Figs. 1, and 2, the portions 3|, 39, also 39, 38, provide extended vertical surfaces on which suitable-advertising may be displayed.

When locked in carriers such as I, one set of six, bottles may be stacked on another set while leaving hand hole portions 30, 3| elevated as in Figs. 1 and 2 because such portions are thin enough to be straddled by the two rows of bottles in the upper set.

We claim:

'1. A bottle carrier for two rows of bottles, said carrier comprising bottle neck embracing portions each having a row of apertures each large enough to pass the head of a bottle having a bead adjacent its top, each of said bottle neck embracing portions having a vertically extending portion arising intermediate said rows of apertures, means providing a handle for said vertically extending portions, and a rigid member havin a central aperture slidably receiving said vertical portions to prevent lateral separation of said bottle neck embracing portions when said vertical portions are elevated and to permit separation thereof when in a lowered position, said rigid member having oppositely facing rows of notches, one for each. of said apertures and each notch fitting a portion of the bottle neck under the bottle bead, each of said notches and the corresponding said aperture cooperating to embrace the bottle neck when said vertical portions are in elevated position on said rigid member.

2. A bottle carrier comprisin a rigid member having in one side thereof a laterally open notch to laterally receive and suspend the neck of a. bottle, said rigid member having an elongated slot, and a flexible sheet member having an upper Vertical portion slidably fitting said slot and terminating in a lower portion fitting below said rigid member for engaging the neck of a bottle: and holding the same laterally in said notch, said lower portion of said flexible sheet member being greater in length than the length of said slot to limit the passage of said flexible member through said slot, said upper vertical portion of said flexible sheet member above said rigid member serving as a handle and having a surface suitable for advertising matter.

3.. A bottle carrier comprising an elongated rigid member having two rows of oppositely facing notches with one row in each of its opposite sides, each of said notches being adapted to laterally receive and suspend the neck of a bottle, said rigid member having an elongated central aperture, and a unitary flexible sheet member having an upper portion slidably fitting part way through said aperture and terminating in a lower bottle embracing portion below said rigid member for re taining a bottle neck in each of said notches, said lower bottle embracing portions being too long to slide through said aperture and comprising opposed shelves. sustaining said rigid member, said upper portionserving as a handle.

4 4. A carrier for bottles or the like having an enlarged neck, said carrier comprising a'rigid member having a row of outwardly opening notches in each of its opposite sides, each of said notches being adapted to laterally receive and suspend a, bottle by its neck, said rigid member having an elongated central aperture, and a unitary flexible sheet member having an intermediate portion bent back on itself and insertible upwardly through the central aperture in said rigid member and forming a handle, said flexible member terminating in oppositely extending lateral portions longer than said central aperture and serving as shelves to sustain said rigid member, each of said lateral portions being provided with an aperture for each of said notches, said last apertures each being of a size and shape to longitudinally receive a bottle neck and laterally hold the same in its notch when said handle is pulled up, or release the neck from its notch when the handle is pushed down.

5. A carrier for bottles having an enlarged neck, said carrier comprising a rigid member having opposite rows of notches each to receive and support the neck, and a cardboard member having a corresponding plurality of bottle engaging portions to receive and hold a neck in each of. said notches, said bottle engaging portions fitting underneath said rigid member and forming a shelf for said rigid member, said cardboard member having an intermediate portion slidably fitting in an elongated central aperture in said rigid member and having an upper portion having a hand hole, the length of said intermediate portionbeing substantially the same as the length of said aperture, said upper portion tapering in length to pass through said aperture, and said shelf portion being longer than said aperture to limit passage of said cardboard member through said aperture.

6. A bottle carrier according to claim 1 wherein said bottle neck embracing portions comprise the ends and said handle comprises the. folded middle portion of a unitary sheet of cardboard, said vertical portions comprising a, double thickness of said cardboard bent back on itself, the length of said bottle neck embracing portions being greater than the length of th central aper-- ture in said rigid member while the length of. the remainder of said cardboard member is substantially equal to or less than the length of said cen tral aperture. 1

LANE RHODES. MAURICE SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

